I've seen a little about this on here a few times, but generally ignored it.

Doing a first time tune on a bow today, amo 60", 48 @ 28, I draw to 30", 12 strand D75 string. My guess was 400 spine, 31 5/8", 125gr point.

Set the brace and nock where I thought it should be and shot a few shots with no silencers from 30 yds. Axis 400, 31 5/8 with 125gr fp. Fletched arrows flew perfectly Bareshaft showed a little weak, about 4 inches at 30yds, about what I expected.

Tied on catwhiskers, normal amount, 1 1/2" long, still shooting at 30 yds. 400's fletched flew pretty good, but not perfect, so I tried a few 500's, 31 3/8", 125 gr fp. 500's flew perfectly.

Went to bareshaft, 500 hit right in the middle of my fp group. Kind of surprised me, so I shot one 400 bareshaft. At 30 yds it was so stiff it totally missed the target by a wide margin.

500's with 125gr broadheads were absolutely perfect.

So now I am a believer in the effect of silencers on performance. Way more than I would have believed.

Wives tales. Don't think its enough to worry about it. I have no idea why there's so much trouble with matching arrows.

So go with what you find that bow likes and leave science nonsense out of it.

Thinking to much keep it simple.

Glenn - Wives tale my butt. 8^)

It's not always necessarily due to someone having a problem matching arrows. A lot of the time folks use this method simply to keep them from having to purchase new arrows.

Calvin, it works quite well as you just discovered.

Anything you do to slow the string speed will reduce the force applied to the arrow, thus increasing it's in flight stiffness (dynamic spine).

Rick

Agree with RymanCat.

parchute on a string

It's ok. Folks used to disagree with the science of gravity too.

8^)

Rick

Rick nailed this one!

Well they did discover the world wasn't flat too. If any of us can tell the difference it would be you Rick but since most of us aren't string makers how much does this really matter? I have had hundreds of bows and never once thought about or cared to science this out because I truly feel its unnecessary. No one I know well cares either never had any issues or discussions other than what goes on here about silencers.

I know about weight up front I have added some and did prove to a guy about weight up front as well he said you will never shoot those arrows out of your bow. I shot them and they shot terrible and he said ok told you so. I had 125 on the front forget what weight they were spined but I know way over spined for 45 weight that day I was shooting. Ok next target I screwed on the 250 heads and they shot like darts I didn't even tell him. He said what did you just do I added a lot of weight he then believed the weight forwards deal.

I haven't been shooting the tow hawsers other guys do only the skinny strings with small whiskers tied in so whats the silencers got to do?

I am with Rick, silencer mass and position on string WILL influence dynamic spine. I use it as a fine tune aid if needed as I prefer a well tuned arrow.

Your release can have a huge affect on the results, keep that in mind too.

Yes I believe release as well if you drag.

It depends on how close you are to spine change. If adding silencers affects your dynamic spine enough to create bad flight, then you were likely on the edge of the spine anyway. I won't say that they don't, or won't....but I've never had silencers change my flight dramatically...or even critically enough to retune. But hey....maybe I've been lucky. Anything is possible.

I built lots of strings for folks who wound up having arrows under spine once they installed the new string.

Many of those did not want to purchase new arrows. A quick, easy, and very functional fix was to add a second, and sometime even a third set of silencers to their string.

It never failed to satisfy. 8^)

Rick

Y'all can keep the carbons. Too touchy about spine. I can change from 125 to 150gn points without it showing in my tune with aluminums or wood, as long as I m not on the verge of being over or under spined.

Funny GLF. I use the same arrows (Carbon) for my 38 pound, 40 pound, 45 pound and 47 pound bows, all with the same point weight and they fly great. How is that too touchy?

I know from other experience that somewhere between 48 - 52# is where I change from 500 to 400 spine with most bows. At my draw that is generally between 53 and 58#, about where a change should happen. I just happened to hit that spot in the early stages of tuning this bow and it was so close the silencers made the difference. I was pretty much of the same opinion as RymanCat about too much thinking, but this result really surprised me and taught me something. Not sure what, but now I know it.

lol

This is funny, I have noticed the same thing. It does change the way the arrow reacts, it's all relative to how fussy you are on tune, however it does change things. And some told me I was crazy,lol

GLF, 10-4 on the aluminum arrows. Maybe that's way I have no trouble, and the fact that I've shot aluminum for two centuries now. ))

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